The Columbus Clippers (68-58) bested the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (58-68) 7-4 Thursday night. The Clippers homered three times in the game and were led by James Ramsey’s near cycle. He finished 5-5 with 4 runs batted in and wasn’t able to get the triple.
The Clippers had a streak of seven straight quality starts broken Wednesday. Kyle Davies (8-7, 3.77 ERA) started a new streak Thursday. He allowed four runs, but three were earned, in six innings of work on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Brad Lincoln (6-9, 4.99 ERA) wasn’t nearly as good. He lasted just two and two-third innings and allowed five runs on six hits with four walks and struck out five. Mark Lowe closed out the ninth for his 17th save.
The Clippers finally scored first in a game with the IronPigs at Huntington Park. Francisco Lindor legged out an infield single which was huge two at-bats later. Giovanny Urshela with two outs crushed his 11th Triple-A homer and gave Columbus a 2-0 lead.
Lehigh Valley got the runs back in the third. Back-to-back singles for Cameron Rupp and Tyler Henson started the inning. Cesar Hernandez ripped a triple to right and tied the game. Freddy Galvis gave the IronPigs the lead on a single.
The Clippers jumped back on top with another two-run homer. Elliot Johnson started the bottom of the third with a four-pitch walk. After he stole second James Ramsey crushed a homer to dead center. Matt Carson crushed one off the scoreboard to extend the lead.
Michael Bourn finished his rehab assignment with the Clippers as the DH. He went 0-4 Thursday and overall 0-23 between Columbus and Double-A Akron. He was replaced in the seventh inning.
Ramsey came up already with a double, two-run homer and two RBI singles in the eighth. In his last at bat with two outs in he lined a ball to the wall in right, but glided into second for his second double rather than try for three. The five hits set a Triple-A high for Ramsey. The monster game raised his batting average 75 points.
The Clippers finish the season with 18 straight games against IL West competition. Tyler Cloyd (9-7, 4.05 ERA) and the Clippers roll in to Toledo to face the Mud Hens. Mike Belfiore (5-5, 3.23 ERA) gets the call for Toledo. First pitch is 7 p.m. at Fifth Third Field.
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